Sphere-smoothing apparatus



Feb. '3, 19.42.

A. F. LARAB EE SPHERE-SMOOTHING APPARATUS Filed May 25, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet -1 mv urea FeB. 3, 1942.

A. F. LARABEE SPHERE-SMOOTHING APPARATUS 2 Shets-Sheet 2 Filed May 25, 1940 as I have builtand used itrFie. II is a frae- 101186 CV61? et et i rm'end o endand 7 larger scale. Fig) III is a view in vertical and her shell. "l'he' compres's'ionof a ball that-istwo "vertical section; on the transverse planes inlbw pcn the slightly flattened sphere may be in Patented Feb. 3 ,19 2 2 272 090,

,aavaoiee g s'PHERE-s o'oTmNGAPrnner v V Albert Fehrllarabee,Greensbiii gffia gn'orto Pennsylvania. Rubber 'ctni any, eerpor'ation, j 1r V 5. V ,If L i ,7 I. .r .App lication May 23, 1940, Serial.No. 336',760 r 7 1 4 Claims. (01,154

" v I This invention relates to the smoothingvo'f the -;-.-als'o ithetbeltadvances.anda roller [.3 thatforms surface of a Sphericalarticle, andfindspractical withxthe rollersxll and 12a bightiinmhe t application in the smoothingand p'ressingof the The roller I3 is mounted; in bearingsthat a're feltcloth cover upon tennis balls, and in the adjustable inarjdirection transversely of the line clesing of the seams at the'meeting edges or the 95 :of advancepf the belt. v- Fig. Ishows-a screw l4 applied cover, before the covered ball is vuland ia handwheel l5; which will be recognized cani-zed. v An ultimate vulcaniz'ing step is taken, towzbe parts i :of conventional belt-tightening toaccomplish the vulcanization particularly of ,means. g e i the intercalated film of rubber cementbywhich Through"; chute "l6 'atizthe right-hand end of the cover is caused initially to 'adhereto' the rubv10 ifihfel table the-articles 'to' be treated are-brought, "bershelLand to integrate the whole. *Invention one bywne, to th'e' sp'acebetween thetable top is found b th i apparatus d in th m th d andmhe belt-facedwall "above. The directionof Performed in its operation. v travel of the reach of-be1t that faces-thewall '2 In the accompanying drawings Fig. I is a is frem right to 1eft,-and the spacingof the beltviewfpartly'in side elevation and partly in'ver- -1'5 'fa'ced wal1 -2 'from. th table topis such that an *tical-section, of the apparatus of the invention in-fedball, engaged from above by the belt {is mentary view showing in plan from above the "imder 'compression sufii'cient-toreduce-eminences, table top that forms part of the apparatus; -toobliteratevirregularities; and to*-' shape the Figs. III, IV, and V are fragmentary views tozoeoveriee-snu'eeer and Q 1 1 fih lQng'itudinaI' sectiom'and shows both the table and five eighths of an irich'in'diameter maybe top and the co-operating parts that-arearranged 0f1 -theorder of three eighthsmif anfli nch, 3nd above the tabletop. Figs. IV and V are'v'iews in the cont'aot' of the level surfa'ces above and bea "and-an ine'h wide'.

-dicated at IV-IV- and V- V, Fig. III. FigsiVI, I v VII- and VIII are diagrammatic 'views'o'f a ten- By-the mea-ns thus fardes'cribedthe ballwill nis ball, illustrating successive circumferential rblled'bver-the table top on a single circumbands upon-which the ball is in the practice-0L :Qfe enftial ban M-y 'invention lurther consists I the invention compressed. Fig. D: is a-view in-{3 in the-p ovision or means forshi'fting the min "verticalisection-of the work-receiving end of the its *pesiuom-Yso that in the course "of its adinachine illustrating 'diagrammaticallya modi- I "vamjje it will roll successively on a-p1ura1ityor fic'ation" or elaboration "in ball-controlling "circu nfei erit lbarldsl'-These -successive circum' st t e; ite'rentiail-harid will at two pc a'lafr pointscoincide Above asmooth and rigid table top ad-" -a'nd the equatorial circle betweenfsuchpolar vantagebusly formed of hard maple plank, and g d t edgenand. coverjvthe extending in horizontal plane, is arranged the f ntire circumference. Thus" 0 8 therent'ilfelsurparallel surface of an opposed and rigid wall 2, f c'th ovcr isrpressed llpf nthe ball',xand the "advantageously formed-,ofihard maple also. Be 'j 1 hS= f qe'fm e d e e pp ied cover neaththis opposed uppersurface a web- 3 of cot-' closedthiolighout all the' ir 1extent,' 1 ton' belting advances in the direction of the q f h I itY 191181191118 1 S U-Dt length of t t m e web is advantageously by 'a-succe'ssbn of turn-tables'whos urfaces .ani endless belt, organized as shown in Fig; I., It I are flush with the su'rfa'ceof the "tabletop I mountedon vtwudurumsJ4 and 5, arranged and wh'ose centres of' turning are arranged .to

l y ondt he ends of the wall 2; and on e of the j'q ejsidefof therunway forrjjhe ballsg and con-v drums 4),- is'mounted on ashaftfi that is rotated *v nie tly ne ed e t tab i PO hi s .isjdriven. Suitable guidefrollers' 8 and Bare ll,"beneath which the belt advances, co -operate i t in from a s ource'of power 1." Thus the endless belt j f in tables successively-the'ball; "advancing in eerthe' driving impulse or the travelin'gjbel tgfis lledi and, :by thero'tation of the tabl'ej'the all; rolled-in transverse.direction: ,Ifhefconoffthe rupper wall"? isiriteiruptedKFig.

provided, accurately to definethe position of the work-engaging reach of the belt. Roll'ers l0 and 1 ,.'b

with jdrums 4*and 5 to'increas'ejthe extent ofj'the throng space'fintervals that correspond to jengfagement of the belt with" the drumsyan'd a T tghtening device is provided that consists i ofjjthe'turn-tables. In these int veils he belt.

" Ofa roller I2 set adjacent r011 11' beneath wmen*5 *t6 "c'dntact 'with' the surface of the j turn tableg pulsion of belt 3, carried from the position a on table top I across the periphery of the turntable I! to the approximate position b upon the top of and near the periphery of the turntable. Here the compression of the ball is relieved, while the impulsion of the table ll (turning counter-clockwise, Fig. II) rolls the ball transversely, and brings it to position c.

The speed of turning of the turn-tables I1 is correlated with the speed of advance of the belt 3; and, to that end, Fig. I shows the tables.

to be rotated from a bevel-gear 2'! borne by the shaft 6 that drives the belt.

A thin plate 18, conveniently of metal, adjustable in its position, overlies a portion of the turn-table l1 and a portion of the table top I on the delivery side (i. e. to the left of) the turntable. The turn-table brings the ball at c to the edge of plate [8; and there, in response to the constant advance of belt 3, the ball is rolled from the turn-table I! over the edge of plate l8 and caused to advance upon plate l8. It is manifest that, by adjustment of the plate 18, the extent of the transverse rolling that turn-table H effects may be varied and brought to the desired value.

The longitudinal extent of the table top in the intervals between successive turn-tables is precisely determined, so that the ball as it is taken up by each turn-table is properly oriented and is by the action of the successive turn-tables rolled on the same axis.

A sufficient number of turn-tables is provided, that the successive bands of contact characterized above shall cover the entire surface of the ball, and every point in the surface made subject to the smoothing compression. By way of example, Fig. II shows three turn-tables, dividing the table top I into four intervals of rolling under compression. These intervals are equal in length and each in length exceeds the circumference of the ball. As has been said, the diameter of a tennis ball of standard size is two inches and five eighths and its circumference about eight inches. The transverse rollings that the turn-tables ll successively effect are through equal intervals, and the interval may be an interval of an inch, measured circumferentially of the ball. If then the bands of compression through the intervals of compression be an inch wide, it is manifest that in the course of the ball through the apparatus the bands will cover the entire surface of the ball.

This is illustrated in Figs. VI, VII, and VIII. The ball B is shown diagrammatically in Fig. VI to have been compressed and rolled over a single circumferential band m. In such condition it comes to position on the first turn-table. The first turn-table effects rotation on the axis of which the point s in one pole through an angular range that corresponds to the width of band m. In the advance between the first and second turn-tables the ball is compressed and rolled over a second circumferential band n. The

second turn-table effects rotation again on the aataoeo same axis and again through a range that corresponds to the width of the compression bands. Between the second turn-table and the third the ball is compressed and rolled over a third circumferential band 0, and so on.

Provision is advantageously made that the table may be of small dimensions, occupying a minimum of floor-space. The width of the table top I slightly exceeds the radius of the turntables. Along one edge extends a ball-limiting rail I9; and this rail is continuous, across the intervals in which the turn-tables H are set. (The centres of turning of these tables lie immediately within the boundary of the rail I9.) On the opposite side of the table guide rails 20 are arranged. Each of these overlies a plate l8, and the adjacent portion of table-top l, and extends from a point near the remote edge of the table top, where it may receive a ball advancing upon plate 18 (the upper edge, Fig. II), obliquely over the surface of table top 1, toward the next succeeding turn-table, remote at its termination from rail I9 at an interval sufficient to allow a ball to pass freely. The rail 20 cooperates with the advancing belt, to bring a ball from the position d, Fig. II, to the position of transfer to the next turntable-the position 6 (substantially the position a, Fig. III, already mentioned). The rails l9 and 20 are smoothsurfaced and the balls under compression and under the impulsion given by belt 3 slide upon thesesu-rfaces, suffering no appreciable rotation by contact therewith.

In order that the balls advancing in succession through the machine shall not be so close together as to rub on upon another, I organize with the feeding chute lfi an escapement mechanism I60 (Fig. IX) of conventional structure and organization.

I claim as my invention:

1. Apparatus for smoothing the surfaces of compressibl spherical articles, which consists of a succession of table-top areas extending in a common plane, a turn-table whose surface extends in the same plane, means for rolling the articles in continuity over a table-top area, a turn-table area, and a second table-top area, and means for defining vertically the space interval above the table-top areas through which the articles advance.

2. Apparatus for smoothing a newly applied cover upon a playing ball which includes a discontinuous table top, a correspondingly discontinuous downward facing wall extending above and in parallelism to the table top and spaced at an interval therefrom, a belt adapted to advance adjacent and beneath such downwardly facing wall, and a turn-table completing the continuity of the table top and adapted to roll a ball transversely while it is in course of rolling longitudinally upon the table top under the impulsion of the advancing belt.

3. Apparatus for smoothing a newly applied cover upon a compressible playing ball which includes a discontinuous table top, 2, correspond. ingly discontinuous downward facing wall extending above and in parallelism to the table top and spaced at an interval therefrom, a belt adapted to advance adjacent and beneath such downwardly facing wall, a plurality of turntables completing at successive portions of its longitudinal extent the continuity ofnthe table top and adapted to roll a ball transversely upon said belt, and a rail. arranged above the table 16 top and between the turn-tablesandadapted to 2,272,090 I i u f 3 efiect a shifting transversely without rotation of a. ball rolled under compression by the advancing belt longitudinally upon the table top;

4. The method herein described of smoothing a newly applied cover upon a compressible playing ball which consists in rolling the covered ball when under compression along successive circumferential bands of compression, the'successive bands coming tocoincidence at two polar points, and at the equatorial line between such polar points extending edge to edge and covering 5 the entire circumference.

ALBERT FEHR LARABEE. 

